Apple faces antitrust charges for requiring developers to use its in-app payments service in India. Apple earlier banned app developers from contacting customers through email for payment-related purposes. While Apple enables app developers to sell their services directly, all in-app purchases made within applications downloaded from the App Store must use the iOS payment system and pay Apple a charge ranging from 15% to 30% of total revenues.
Apple has been sued by epic in the United States for this practice. Google, which also charges developers a fee and takes a percentage of in-app purchases made by consumers, is being accused of monopolistic tactics.
As the debate over Apple and Google’s App Store practices has heated up, the two companies are increasingly seeking to please developers and regulators. Earlier today, Apple made a concession to applications like Netflix and others in Japan as it prepared to confront legal, regulatory, and legislative challenges in that country over its Apple Store restrictions.
The antitrust complaint in India argues that Apple’s up to 30% fee harms competition by increasing costs for both users and app developers. It goes on to say that the fee works as a deterrent to market entrance.
According to the article, the Competition Commission of India will review the case in the coming weeks and may possibly conduct investigations. According to Reuters, CCI may even postpone the case if it finds no merit, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Notably, the complainant is the Rajasthan-based non-profit organization Together We Fight Society, which told Reuters that it did so to protect the interests of Indian consumers and entrepreneurs.
